IT was an award that childhood sexual abuse survivor Mairead Ashcroft wished she did not have to receive.
The Irish-born Altona Meadows resident has been named one of Hobsons Bay’s 20 most inspirational women, awarded for her work with adult survivors of childhood sexual assault.
She says she was molested as a child by a priest in the 1970s.
Interpol is in the process of trying to extradite the priest from the US, where he is still practising.
“If it happens, it will be the first time ever in Australian history that a member of the church would be extradited for a sex crime to Australia,” Ms Ashcroft said.
“He became our family babysitter and he molested me from the age of eight until I was 11 and I was more aware of my body at this stage … and I thought, no, this is wrong, I can’t have this happen.
“I went to the Catholic Church 13 years ago and I went through the Towards Healing program.
“The reason I did that was because my twins who were eight, the same age I was when I was abused, were making their first holy communion.
“I eventually went to the police three years later, and it’s been in the hands of police for that time.
“Initially, I couldn’t have him arrested because he was an American citizen living in America and there were no extradition laws between Australia and America at that time.
“Then on January 18, 2009, the police knocked on my door and said do I want to pursue this case, and I said yes.
“It’s not just about him being brought to justice. The whole authoritarian system around the Catholic Church needs to have an overhaul.
“If I thought that I was the only person who was ever abused by this priest or anyone else in the Catholic Church I wouldn’t be putting myself through this grief. I’m doing it for others.
“If he was living in Australia and he applied for a Working With Children Check, he would get one. And that’s not right.”
On Good Friday, Ms Ashcroft, who is the state co-ordinator of Survivors Australia, is urging people to join her on the “Impact walk with Mairead”.
The walk from Federation Square to
StPatrick’s Cathedral starts at 1.30pm.
“It came about because I had to write an impact statement, and as I was actually writing that impact statement, which probably took me about five weeks to write – it was an incredibly painful experience, and I’m not the only one who’s carrying that impact around – I thought, the community needs to be aware that one in three girls and one in five boys will be sexually abused by the time they are 16; 95per cent by someone who is in the family or a close associate,” Ms Ashcroft said.
“In our workplace, on the train, there are people like myself who are carrying this enormous weight day in, day out, and you just try and do the best you can.
“The walk is a sign of respect and a sign of acknowledgement to victims of sexual abuse and all other forms of abuse.
“It’s for those who have been victims and it’s for those who are victims and aren’t with us today because they were consumed by their trauma.”
Information: survivorsaustralia.org, facebook.com/events/234485323301064/
■Hobsons Bay’s 20 most inspirational women of 2012 are: Mairead Ashcroft, Jill Bilston, Lorraine Clark, Kate Coffey, Jo Cohen, Kerry Cook, Faye Cook, Loretta Cormack, Josie Cornish, Emeretta Cross, Katherine Dine, Penny Ealem, Sandra Elliot, Merridee Hardinge, Leila Houli, Therese McKenney-Campbell, E’Mer San Shwe, Corinne Siebel, Annette Stephens and Patricia Wilson.
